Court To Commence Hearing Against Minister, Hospital Over Job Termination

The presiding judge of the National Industrial Court sitting in Owerri, Justice N.C. Ogbonnaya will commence hearings on July 9, 2025, into how the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, terminated the job of a former staff member, Mr Joachim Egerue.

Egerue had dragged the minister of health, the Federal Ministry of Health, the chief medical director of the Federal University Teaching Hospital Owerri, and the hospital to the Industrial Court in Owerri, for unlawful job termination.

Before the disengagement, Egerue was a staff in charge of the Dental store at the Federal University Teaching Hospital Owerri, Imo State but was on July 1st, 2021 issued a dismissal letter by the hospital management after an audit of the dental unit which he said was conducted without his knowledge and in his absence.

Justice Ogbonnaya had at the last hearing directed the counsel to the defendants, Barr Franklin Ninis, to file his defense and get ready for the substantive hearing of the suit NICN/OW/32/2024 over alleged unlawful termination of Egerue’s appointment.

He however expressed surprise that there was no representation for the hospital, Minister, CMD, nor lawyer even as the matter was scheduled for hearing.

The judge however, fixed July 9, 2025 for the commencement of the hearing,

Egerue had alleged that he was unfairly treated because according to him, there was no notice of audit of the unit even as he nor his assistant, Stanley Ezinwoke were not present saying it was a violation of his constitutional right to fair hearing as guaranteed in section 36 of the 1999 constitution.

Egerue’s lawyer, Dr Chris Nwadigo called on the court to declare as unlawful, wrongful, illegal and unconstitutional, what he described as the witch-hunting special audit report of Dental stores of December, 2020, conducted by the 2nd defendant.

Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, on the instructions of the 1st defendant, Dr. Kingsley Achigbu Ihedioha (Chief Medical Director) in the absence of the claimant, Joachim Egerue and without notifying him, without inviting him and without his participation or involvement or even the involvement of his subordinate in the office, Stanley Ezinwoke.

Nwadigo is praying the court for an order to reinstate Egerue to his position with attendant arrears of promotions and payment of arrears of salaries, allowances, emoluments, benefits etc, because his employment has statutory flavour or in the alternative, to pay Egerue, compensation in the sum of N250,000,000.

Further, Nwadigo sought for an order directing the defendants jointly and severally to pay Egerue, arrears of salaries, allowances, emoluments, benefits in the sum of N100,000,000 to be computed from March, 2021 till judgment is delivered and thereafter until the judgment sum is fully liquidated.

He also prayed the court for an order directing the defendants jointly and severally to pay Egerue, the sum of N250,000,000 for unlawful and arbitrary termination of his appointment and the sum of N100,000,000.00 as aggravated, exemplary and punitive damages for flagrant and unlawful termination of the claimant’s profitable employment.